JK Tyre Racing Nationals at Kari Speedweay

Coimbatore, 9 Dec 2020: The Kari Motor Speedway in Chettipalayam in Coimbatore will hear the familiar roar of Formula cars as the much-awaited 23rd JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship (JKNRC) gets under way here on Friday.
The organisers have put in place stringent protocols, matching international standards, to ensure that the back to back rounds are held with the safety, comfort and convenience of all the teams, drivers, their support staff, officials and media in mind. “We have studied and followed every precaution prescribed by the world as well as national governing bodies to make sure that the championship is conducted smoothly,” Sanjay Sharma, Head-Motorsport, JK Tyre said. “In these unprecedented times we are delighted that we could host such an important event in the FMSCI calendar,” he added.

JKNRC this season will witness two categories – The National championship class on JK Formula LGB 4, an Indian manufactured single seater racing car weighing 450 kg with 1.3 litre engine and JK Tyre Novice Cup for rookie drivers on a similar looking formula 1300s but with different chassis design and suspension geometry. The former has attracted 26 of the country’s best drivers while the latter has more than 20.

There will be 12 races over three days, with each day witnessing four races (including two qualifying rounds on Day 1) that will test not only the speed but also the fitness and endurance of the drivers coupled with technical package put together by the teams.

As in the past, an all-women’s team from Ahura racing will also be in fray adding to flowing of adrenaline on the track.

The top racers of the country, including Vishnu Prasad, Raghul Rangasamy and Mira Erda (MSport), Ashwin Datta and T.S. Diljith (Dark Don Racing), and Chirag Ghorpade (Momentum Motorsport) to name a few will be in fray, battling for the honours.

The pomp and gaiety that comes as a package with every JK Tyre Racing Championship will however be missing this time around in adherence of safety regulations.

Among the key steps taken to battle COVID-19, the organisers will have clear dos and don’ts s right from the main entry gate to all the way up to the track. The pits too have been extended considerably to ensure social distancing.

Local officials will be helping with bulk of the work to avoid too many visitors from other cities and states.

The documentation and scrutiny will be on Thursday, followed by a compulsory drivers’ briefing towards the end of the day.

Friday will witness official practice sessions, qualifying rounds and two races in each category followed by four races on Saturday and Sunday.

For the sake of race lovers, who have always thronged the circuit in large numbers, the event will be streamed live on Sunday so that they don’t miss the action. Viewers can watch the races on:
www.jktyremotorsport.com/live
Facebook.com/jktyremotorsport
Youtube.com/jktyremotorsport

About JK Tyre Motorsport:
JK Tyre has been closely associated with the world of motorsports for almost three decades back. The company laid down a long term plan to popularise and promote the sport in the country. Its first target was to change the notion that this was a sport for the elite. So it packaged and redesigned it in a spectator-friendly way, drawing the
masses to the sport.

The company then endeavored to spot, nurture and sharpen the drivers to turn them into world champions. With this goal in mind, we conceptualized the JK Tyre National Racing Champion in 1997. Our efforts started paying dividends in just a few years’ time, with the likes of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok going all the way to the F1 rung, the highest level of single-seat racing in the world. Since then, a number of stars emerged, including Armaan Ebrahim, the Maini brothers (Kush and Arjun), Anindith Reddy Konda, amongst many others. 

Before all this, JK Tyre had a successful stint in rallying too, conquering the scene in the early 90s. At the same time, gradually, we moved on to various disciplines, including cross-country rallying and off-roading, leaving a mark in each of them with their unique and innovative ways. JK Tyre Motorsports is also very proud of the role it has played in bringing women into motorsports in a big way. Apart from encouraging them to get into the sport through karting as kids, we also gave them opportunities in various national championships. Last year was particularly rewarding for us as an All-Women Racing team was introduced for the first time in the LGB 4 category. In addition, the company also undertook various other initiatives to encourage them to try motorsports, even if for fun to begin with.  

To supplement JK Tyre’s entry into the two-wheeler market, the JKNRC hosted the Suzuki Gixxer Cup and the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup categories and saw enthusiastic participation from across the country. Today, the company is synonymous with motorsports, and even more so with racing, creating a lot of goodwill for
the brand. Right from budding racers to accomplished drivers in the country, everybody owes their rise and
success to JK Tyre.